Arrow: Earth-Q
by TheHiddenOnes
Summary: Oliver Queen chooses to become Ra's al Ghul. Will he live up to the legacy left by great men before him? How can he do this? What will this life mean for him?
1. Chapter 1

Arrow: Earth-Q

 **A/N:** _I considered Season 3's finale to be the point where Arrow pretty much lost me. Season 1 was great, Season 2 was awesome, Season 3 was good sans-Olicity. However, Season 4 was an absolute train wreck. Season 5 was okay, though I really don't think it was as good as everyone likes to make out it was. Like Season 4, it made Oliver weak both emotionally and physically and even tried to rewrite him into a blood-thirsty killing machine. Season 6 was just awful, except for the Deathstroke episodes and the Roy episodes. This fanfic will basically be me course-correcting to how I believe that the end of Season 3_ _should have played out._

 _This will pick up halfway through episode 20 of Season 3. This is where I think the show completely lost it._

 _This story will finish Season 3 how I believe it should have ended. If there is a good reception to the story, I will write my own version of Season 4 & 5._

 **Chapter 1: This is who I am**

Oliver sat on his own, deep in his thoughts. He pondered the decision he had just made in saving Thea. He knew that he had potentially been selfish, but he just couldn't bare the thought of losing another person that he loved. He'd lost his father, Yao-Fei, Shado, Akio, Taiana, Tommy, his mother and now Sara. He was not going to lose his baby sister too.

Suddenly, a knock at his door brought him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah." He responded tiredly.

"Hey." Felicity said quietly, cracking the door open. "You okay?"

Oliver looked at her as if that was perhaps the most insensitive question she could have asked.

"Sorry, that's a stupid question. You just saw your sister come back to life after being mostly dead and you are about to give up everything you know and love, so you're probably not." Felicity rambled.

Oliver sighed, "I remember the first time I thought I'd never see Thea again. It was when my father's boat went down." He remembered it solemnly. It was his greatest fear ever since returning to Starling. That one night, he would go out as The Arrow and never return. That he'd never see his baby sister again. It ached in his very soul.

"But you did." Felicity quickly responded as she moved in to take a seat, closing the door behind her. "But you did. And you'll see her again – again," she fumbled her words.

 **{[A/N: Brief note: this is where the Earths diverge.]}**

"I know." Oliver nodded. "But for almost two years, since after the Undertaking, I've been struggling with who I am." Oliver was confessing something that he knew Felicity would not understand. "I've been denying who I am. I've been lying to myself and everyone around me. I achieved more in my first year back, than I have for the past two years combined. Either I'm willing to do what's necessary, or I shouldn't be out there at all. This is who I am, it's who I've always been and I'm okay with it."

"And who you are, is the next Ra's al Ghul?" She asked timidly.

"Yes. Everything that I've done, everything that's happened has led me right here to this moment. I've been afforded the opportunity to do more good than just in Starling. I can make the entire world a better place."

Felicity strode over to him and sat in front of him. "Oliver, I love you. How can I change your mind?" She asked timidly.

"You can't." He told her simply.

"Leaving you here is going to destroy me, I love you."

"I'm sorry Felicity, but I don't feel the same way." He meant it.

"How can you say that? You told me you loved me right before you went off to face Ra's!" She cried.

"I know. And I'm sorry. But I know now that when I said that, I was still clinging to the hope that I could be the hero you thought you saw. But that isn't me. I take lives. I put people in the ground and I do it, because sometimes it needs to be done. You, John and even Laurel hold me back. You ask me to take half measures, but I can't do that anymore. Too many suffer as a result."

Oliver stood up and took Felicity gently by the hand. He led her to the door and showed her out, closing the door behind her.

 **END**

 **A/N:** I hope you all liked it. Feel free to comment/criticize/praise the work.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: United**

 **A/N: This chapter takes place between the episodes 'Al-Sahim' and 'This is your Sword'. In terms of timeframe, this episode takes place right after 'Al-Sahim' and 'This is your Sword' picks up about a month later.**

Oliver was stunned. He was shocked that Ra's was going to make him marry his daughter. He paced around his suite. He had considered telling Nyssa of his plan when he'd captured her, but had quickly decided against it. She was not in the mood to hear him out at the time. However, he now knew that he had to. It was the only way to ensure the success of the mission.

Oliver approached her door and knocked twice.

"Enter." A short response. Oliver knew he was going to have a hard time convincing her of the truth.

Oliver walked in. Nyssa was seated on her bed, staring at the candle in the centre of the room.

"What do you want, Oliver?"

"I need to tell you something."

"And what makes you think I will listen."

"Because of your sister."

Nyssa looked up at him in shock. "How do you know Talia?" She demanded fiercely.

"She trained me, in Russia." Oliver responded. "Once I realised that I could not escape your father, I formed a plan with her, to free all three of us from your father."

Nyssa stared into his eyes for any hint of deception. There was none. Only the pain of a man who carried the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"I have a letter from her, if you would like to read it." Oliver reached into his pocket and gently held out an envelope to Nyssa.

Nyssa stared at him intensely for a moment before taking and reading it. After a few minutes and several rereads, she looked up at Oliver, with tears in her eyes.

"All these years, I thought she just abandoned me. But my father was going to kill her. And so she fled."

"Yeah." Oliver replied, Talia had told him the story. "She didn't want to leave you behind, but she had to."

Nyssa wiped her eyes and took a few steps toward Oliver. "What is our plan?" she asked him, determination in her voice.

"We do as Ra's asks, for the most part. I will not destroy Starling city, though. I won't let innocent people die." Oliver told her. "I will kill Ra's and then give you the Demon's ring."

"You do not want it? The power, the influence?" Nyssa asked him, puzzled.

"No. I'm done." Oliver responded. "I gave 3 years of my life to a city that turned on me the moment it was told to. I'm going to go somewhere far away, where nobody knows my name and live out my life in peace. Alone. I told my team that I was going to become Ra's, but that was only because I don't want them looking for me."

"It will be a shame, to see your skills and heart go to waste like that." Nyssa told him earnestly.

"Yeah." Oliver replied. "Now, about this marriage. I think you should continue opposing it as you have been. We don't want to make Ra's suspicious. We can discuss it more tomorrow, given everything that's happened tonight, I think you should take the time to process it."

"Agreed." Nyssa said. As Oliver made to leave, Nyssa called out. "You know, it is a shame. Under different circumstances, I would say you were just my type. You're strong, a warrior, intelligent and you are pleasant to look at."

Oliver stopped just before he reached the door, shocked by Nyssa's admission. He quickly regained his composure and responded.

"Except that I'm not a woman."

"Your mistake is in assuming I am only attracted to women." She smiled flirtatiously.

Oliver laughed a little. "Goodnight, Nyssa."

"Goodnight, Oliver," she called after him as he left.

 **END**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Confessions**

 **A/N: The reason I only explore one of the missions in detail is so that I can potentially explore the other two missions in flashback form at a later date.**

A few days later, Ra's announced that Oliver and Nyssa would be sent on missions with one another over the course of the next month, prior to the wedding. Ra's allowed this because Oliver had 'broken his rival' and she was no longer a threat to his rule. To no one's surprise (except perhaps their own,) Nyssa and Oliver made a magnificent team. It was feeling Oliver had only shared with a few others before, namely; Shado, Slade, Maseo, Tatsu, Talia, Sara and Roy.

Over the course of the missions, Oliver and Nyssa continued to bond, undertaking two more missions. They had come to trust one another on the battlefield and could read one another's body language and instantly know what the other was thinking.

The first mission was to steal some information regarding a new type of nuclear missile from the Kremlin in Russia.

The second was to track down and rescue members of the League of Assassins who had been captured in North Korea. On this mission, Oliver took a bullet in the shoulder protecting Nyssa from a North Korean soldier.

Their final mission before the wedding was to assassinate the head of a smuggling cartel which trafficked and traded people, one of the lowest and most despicable businesses. They were ordered to assassinate the leader and dismantle the cartel.

"Your target is Raphael Alverado." Ra's told them. "He is a cancer on the world, a trafficker of the flesh, particularly of women and children." Oliver noticed Nyssa silently clench her fists.

"We will end his miserable existence, Ra's" Oliver replied, playing the part.

"And we shall make him suffer, father." Nyssa added.

"See that you do." Ra's smiled as he looked at Nyssa. "I am pleased that your fire and passion for justice has not been extinguished by the events of recent weeks, my daughter."

Nyssa simply nodded in response. She was still angry at her father and wished to see him dead.

"You must also retrieve his digital ledger, as it has information on all of his clients and allied. We must dismantle the network and not just cut off the head of the organization," Ra's continued.

"It will be done." Oliver chanted.

"You are both dismissed."

As Oliver and Nyssa walked away, she pondered on Oliver's reactions to all that had transpired. To most people, Oliver simply looked like a soldier doing as he was told. But Nyssa had witnessed so much more. She saw through the façade. When mention of traffickers had arisen, she saw his jaw clench slightly. When her father had mentioned that Alverado particularly trafficked women and children, she saw a brief hatred in his eyes. She could tell he was just as passionate as she was about justice and she liked that about him.

XXX

Nyssa and Oliver arrived at the cartel leader's home, a villa on Lake Como in Northern Italy. Nyssa looked at Oliver, who was pensive.

"What is it?" She asked him.

He looked at her for a moment before he responded.

"It's nothing. Let's just get this done."

They worked their way through the grounds of the villa, quietly killing the guards with their knives. Stealth was key here. As Oliver worked his way towards the back doors of the villa a guard rounded the corner to his left, raised his gun to fired, but stopped suddenly. Oliver expected him to fire but he never did. He fell forward onto his stomach, revealing an arrow in his back, likely having pierced his heart. Behind him, Nyssa stood triumphantly, having just very likely saved Oliver's life.

"You missed one." She said dryly.

"I knew you were there." Oliver responded smoothly, before heading into the house.

Nyssa smirked slightly before they walked inside. They continued to move through the house, silently killing all of the guards. When they eventually made their way to the target's room, Oliver put his hand on Nyssa's arm gently.

"You can torture him as much as you like, but the kill is mine." He told her.

She could tell that this was not a request. It was a command. Part of her wanted to hit him for giving her an order, but the other part of her respected his wish to end the life of such a despicable human being, if he could be called that.

Nyssa nodded and then kicked in the door. Alverado, who had been watching TV, lunged for the pistol on his nightstand. Nyssa quickly fired an arrow, which went straight through his forearm. Alverado screamed in pain, clutching his arm.

Nyssa slung her bow over her shoulder and pulled out her dagger. She stalked over to him, like a panther about to strike. Once she reached him, Nyssa stabbed him in the thigh, eliciting more screeches of pain from the man.

"Where is your digital ledger?" She hissed venomously.

Oliver watched Nyssa work, impressed with her skills. He considered himself a worthy warrior, but the way Nyssa fought, how she went to work just seemed like second nature to her. He was in awe as he continued to watch her work. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Nyssa repeating his name.

"Oliver? Oliver!"

"Huh? Yeah?"

"The ledger. It is on his laptop. Get it."

Oliver walked over to the laptop and picked it up, putting it in its case, which was next to it on the desk.

"I am finished with him, do as you will." Nyssa said, taking the case from Oliver. She turned and watched Oliver stride over to the bloody man and crouch next to him.

"This is for all of the innocent people you have hurt, you pathetic excuse for a human being." Oliver said through gritted teeth. He stared his terrified victim in the eyes and pulled out his dagger. With his left hand, he grabbed the man by the jaw and with his right, stuck the knife into the man's carotid artery once and then pulled it out. He continued to stare into the man's eyes as he watched the life drain from him. Oliver relished the feeling of ridding the world of evil. He didn't enjoy taking a life, but he did feel good about the fact that this piece of shit would never harm anyone else and that was because of him.

"It is quite a feeling, isn't it?" Nyssa said quietly, snapping him from his thoughts.

Oliver stood and turned to face her. "Taking a life?"

"No, ridding the world of an evil person. Protecting the innocent." She said, earnestly.

"There is no better feeling in the world." Oliver responded. "Let's go, we need to get the laptop back to your father."

XXX

The plane ride back to Nanda Parbat was mostly silent, until about the mid-way point, when Oliver turned to Nyssa, who was in the co-pilot's seat next to him.

"I've never told anyone that." He said quietly.

"That there is not better feeling than removing evil?" She asked.

"Yeah. Not many people would understand. I can count on two hands the people I know that would. But even then, you're the first person that I've confessed that to."

"Thank you," Nyssa said.

"For what?" Oliver asked.

"For trusting me enough to let me in."

Oliver turned back to face the front of the plane, without responding, having to recompose himself and to think about the night's events. Nyssa knew that this was Oliver's way of letting her know that he trusted her. She felt as though she owed Oliver a similar confession, to show him that she also trusted him.

"You know, I had not cried in front of anyone in almost two decades, before you showed me my sister's letter." She told him.

"I see," he replied before pausing. "I hope that the two of you can be close again once all of this is over."

"Thank you, Oliver. It means more than you know."

"You're welcome, Nyssa."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Who We Become**

 **A/N: This chapter begins right after "This is your Sword" and is more or less a rewrite of the finale.**

Following the attempted break-in by Oliver's former team, the wedding took place. As planned Nyssa, still pretending to protest the wedding attempted to stab Oliver, convincing Ra's of the charade.

After the wedding ceremony had concluded, Ra's spoke to them. "Tonight, you will consummate your union and extend my lineage." Neither was shocked by the revelation.

XXX

Upon returning to Oliver's quarters, Nyssa sat on the bed whilst Oliver paced up and down, lost in thought. After a few minutes, Nyssa broke him out of his thoughts.

"Would you please stop pacing?" She asked him frustratedly.

He stopped and looked at her seriously. "Nyssa, tomorrow morning the Priestess is going to make sure we consummated. That will definitely get us caught, because I'm sure as hell not going to force you to have sex with me."

"Who said anything about forcing me?" Nyssa asked him seriously.

"I – what?" Oliver asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Oliver, over the past few weeks, we have gotten closer than most people get to be with someone in a lifetime. It is a level of intimacy that only comes from completely trusting someone with your life, knowing that either one of you could die at any moment." Nyssa paused, allowing herself to gather her thoughts. "That is what we have become to one another, trusted confidants. I have told you things I have never shared with another living soul and unless I am mistaken, you have done the same to me."

Oliver stood in silence for a moment, processing everything she had just said to him.

"You're right." He said simply. "I am more comfortable, more honest, more myself with you, than I have been with anyone since I got back from the island."

Nyssa stood up, walked over to him and gently took his hands in hers. She stared deeply into his eyes, penetrating his soul and he did the same to her. Neither had noticed that they were so close until their lips met.

They kissed softly, then Oliver's hands moved to Nyssa's waist as he pulled her close. They kissed again, more passionately. He undid her dress, whilst she helped him disrobe, still kissing the whole time. Once they were fully naked Nyssa took his hand and led him to the bed, where they proceeded to consummate their marriage.

XXX

After they had finished the evening's activities, the two lay in bed with one another, quietly but comfortably. Oliver was holding Nyssa in his arms, whilst she had her back to him.

"Oliver?" She said.

"Yeah?"

"Did you mean it, when you said that you were going to disappear after we kill my father? That you would live out your days alone?"

"Every word."

"Why?"

Oliver sighed. "Because I can't be what my old team wants me to be. I'm not a hero. I don't believe that everyone deserves a second chance. Some people do, some don't. And the ones that don't need to be put down permanently. They just don't understand that. They never will."

"I understand that." She replied.

"I know you do," Oliver said.

Nyssa rolled over, so that she was face-to-face with Oliver. "Then stay. Stay with me."

Oliver was shocked Nyssa would ask him to do that. He knew that they had developed feelings for one another, strong ones even, but she knew he couldn't stay.

"I can't, you know that. If I stay, you can't be Ra's. I won't take this away from you. You've trained for this from birth."

"I haven't earned it. I am not worthy of the ring. And that is okay."

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked.

"You deserve this. _You_ have earned it and I want to be with you. I have never felt this way about another person, even Sara. I want you to stay, provided you want to be with me." Nyssa told him.

"I care for you too, Nyssa," he told her. Are you sure about this?

"More than I have been about anything in a long time."

"Then I'll stay." Oliver said as he kissed her.

"Good." She said as she smirked through the kiss.

"One condition, though." She looked at him, puzzled. "You will be my equal, in every way throughout the League."

"You have yourself a deal."

XXX

Oliver woke suddenly, the plane having gone through turbulence.

"You were asleep." He heard the silky voice of Ra's call from his right.

He snapped his head to the right. "I was dreaming."

"Ibn Surin once wrote that there are three types of dreams. There are ones about truth, there are ones about desire and there are one's about temptation." Ra's explained to him. "What did you dream of?"

"Rebirth." Oliver said, as he looked over at Nyssa. "As Ra's al Ghul."

Ra's nodded, pleased. "There is no greater burden than the one you are about to take on." He told Oliver earnestly. "The annihilation of one's home."

"It is necessary to complete my ascension."

"And I will be there to steady your hand when the time comes."

Oliver nodded. "I appreciate your assistance." He wasn't quite lying. Over the past month, he had become a much better fighter and leader, thanks to the tutelage of Ra's.

"Soon, you will wear this," Ra's said, gesturing to the ring of the Demon's Head. "And you will command a multitude and I shall call you, Ra's."

Suddenly the plane shook violently and alarms began to beep. The beginning of Oliver's plan had begun.

"Something is wrong." Ra's said. He quickly walked over to the cockpit. "What is happening?" Ra's asked the pilot.

"Two engines are down; we're trying to compensate!" He called back. "But they've been tampered with!"

"Sabotage…" Ra's muttered. He rounded on Nyssa and started walking towards her. "You!" he shouted as he stormed toward her. "This is all your doing!" He held his sword to her throat.

"Don't! Nyssa had nothing to do with this." Oliver told Ra's as he took up his position directly behind him.

Ra's turned and pointed at Oliver. "You were delivered by the prophecy! You wed my daughter! Your name is Al-Sahim and you are Warith al Ghul!".

Oliver drew his sword. "My name, is OLIVER QUEEN!" He roared.

"Oliver Queen is dead," Ra's said venomously. "And soon, you will be too."

Oliver threw his sword to Nyssa and charged at Ra's. Nyssa began to cut down the four assassins whom were her captors. They traded kicks, punches and swords, though none of them could match Nyssa. The rear ramp of the plane was opened by one of the assassins whom Nyssa kicked into the button. As she dispatched them one by one, the pilot came to attack her, but like the rest, was swiftly defeated.

Meanwhile, Ra's rounded on Oliver. "I handed you my crusade!" He yelled. "My holy mission!"

"And I will fulfil the role and responsibility of being Ra's al Ghul, but I will not destroy my home in the process!" Oliver shouted at him.

Ra's struck at him with his sword, Oliver caught Ra's arm and punched him with a right-cross, sending Ra's into the wall. He followed up with a kick which Ra's blocked. Ra's then retaliated with a kick of his own, which dropped Oliver onto his knee. He proceeded to send a kick at Oliver's face, but it was blocked, only for Ra's to punch Oliver in the face instead. Ra's then roundhouse kicked Oliver in the face knocking him down.

Ra's picked up the Alpha-Omega virus cannister as Nyssa charged at him, He swiftly defeated her and made his way to the back of the plane, grabbing the only parachute. He turned and spoke to Oliver and Nyssa, who had both stood up, ready to face him together.

"If you survive this," he yelled to them, "I will come for you again and again, until your end of days!" He jumped.

XXX

Tatsu walked into the safehouse that Oliver had told her about in Starling city. It was quite dingy, bare and only one light in the main room, a tall lamp in the corner. As she closed the door, a thin woman with dark hair and dressed in black leather walked out of the next room.

"Tatsu, I presume?" She spoke with a British accent.

"Yes. You are Oliver's friend? The one he has been collaborating with?" Tatsu asked.

"I am Talia, one of Oliver's closest confidants and yes, his friend." She responded.

Tatsu heard shifting in the next room and drew her sword, preparing for a battle, as two more people walked in. A male of average height, with brown hair and blue eyes appeared. He was dressed in a suit reminiscent of Oliver's, though coloured red and black. Behind him was a short woman with dark hair and piercing green eyes, her suit similar to Talia's. Both of their hoods were down and they seemed surprised to see her sword drawn.

"You needn't worry," Talia told Tatsu, amused by her reaction. "This is Oliver's sister and his protégé. They will be assisting us in our endeavour.

Tatsu quickly sheathed her sword. "I am Tatsu, a friend of Oliver's. It will be an honour to fight alongside all of you."

XXX

After successfully crashlanding the plane, Oliver and Nyssa went to Palmer Technologies to gain assistance from his old team. As expected, they were none too happy to see him, despite Malcolm's revelation of Oliver's plan.

Nyssa and Oliver dropped from the ceiling and Nyssa instantly drew her bow, aiming it at Malcolm. Oliver put his hand on her arm, slowly lowering her bow.

"Nyssa, we discussed this. We need him."

Nyssa glared at Malcolm, though acquiesced to Oliver's wish and lowered her bow.

Oliver took a step forward, only to be met with a punch from Diggle. "You son of a bitch!" Oliver fell to his knees, whilst Nyssa drew her bow again, this time aimed at Diggle. Oliver placed his hand on her arm and looked her in the eyes. He nodded and she lowered her bow again.

"Maybe we should give these guys the room…" Ray said hesitantly.

"No." Oliver said firmly, now back on his feet. He turned to face John and looked him straight in the eyes. "I understand your anger, truly. You have every right to be furious with me for what I did. But now isn't the time. We have a city to save."

"No!" Yelled Diggle. "We need to sort this out now! Start talking!"

"Now is not the time." Oliver said firmly.

"Nyssa looks happy. You two on your honeymoon?" Felicity quipped sarcastically.

"Either we start working now, or the city doesn't get saved. We can deal with all of our personal issues later."

Diggle, Felicity and even Laurel began to shout over one another, until Oliver had had enough. "HEY!" he roared. "I shouldn't have come here; it was a mistake. None of you can put your emotions aside and I don't have time to deal with hurt feelings right now."

He looked to Nyssa and then Malcolm. "Let's go."

"Where are you going?!" Diggle yelled after them.

"To save the city!" Oliver replied in annoyance.

"Without us?" Called Felicity. "Who's going to help you?"

"People I can trust." Oliver said with a sense of finality, leaving Dig, Felicity, Laurel and even Ray looking stunned and speechless.

XXX

Oliver, Nyssa and Malcolm arrived at the safehouse, with Thea and Roy both greeting Oliver with a hug.

"I'm sorry I dragged you both into this," Oliver said earnestly.

"Don't be. I'll always be here when you need me." Roy told him.

"Yeah, and besides, how cool is this? A brother-sister crime fighting team!" Thea said enthusiastically.

Oliver chuckled before turning to Tatsu. "Thank you, again."

Tatsu smiled and nodded. "You don't have to thank me."

Oliver turned and saw Nyssa and Talia just staring at one another, neither having the courage to break the silence.

"Sister, I-" Talia began, before Nyssa launched herself into Talia's arms, tears in her eyes.

"I have missed you so much all these years!" she cried.

"As I have you. I am sorry for abandoning you." Talia choked out, trying not to cry as well.

"You do not need to be sorry. I understand why you left."

The scene was very emotional, especially for Oliver. He loved both of these sisters in different ways. Talia was his friend, someone whom he could tell anything. Someone who understood the darkness inside him and who would not judge him for it, because she had it too. She had shown him his way back when the darkness had threatened to take over. On the other hand, Nyssa had experienced the pain of losing people she loved; her mother, friends who had fallen in battle and Sara. Oliver had truly grown to love Nyssa over the past two months. He hadn't told her yet, but he would once this was all over.

"We need to get to work," Oliver told them both. "I'm sorry to cut this short."

The sisters both nodded. "You have grown into quite the leader since we last met, Oliver." Talia noted.

XXX

The new team; Oliver, Nyssa, Talia, Tatsu, Malcolm, Roy and Thea got to work, eventually realising that Ra's was trying to kill Damien in the attack. Unfortunately, their plan to leverage Damien for the city did not work, though they did find out that Ra's was using four assassins to disperse the virus. They also figured out where the three most efficient places to disperse the virus were and Oliver commanded them to split into three teams to deal with the assassins.

"Nyssa and Talia, I want you to go and intercept the first assassin. Roy and Tatsu, you'll take the second. Malcolm and Thea, you two will take the last one."

"What about you?" Thea asked.

"I have to go and face Ra's."

"Oliver… you'll die." Roy said solemnly.

"Oli, no! You can't!" Thea exclaimed.

The others all wore blank expressions, though Talia noticed concern in Nyssa's eyes. Clearly the two of them were much closer than she had realised.

"I have to." Oliver replied simply. "If I don't, none of us will be safe from him. Ever."

XXX

Oliver fought bravely against Ra's, matching him blow for blow, strike for strike. Their swords clashed and they held them together, Ra's impressed by his protégé's skill and tenacity.

"Your skill impresses me, Al-Sahim. Yet you disappoint me with your rejection of my offer!" He grabbed Oliver around the neck and tossed him to the ground. Oliver quickly rolled over and stood up. Ra's slowly walked towards him.

"I'm not rejecting your offer. I'm rejecting the tradition of destroying my former home as a means of doing it!"

Oliver attacked Ra's quickly striking at him. Ra's parried them and pondered on Oliver's words.

"The League serves for the purpose of destroying corruption!" He countered. "And when the world is ready, Ra's shall lead the world into a new era!"

"And yet the League asks Warith al Ghul to destroy the place that made him who he is!" Oliver yelled. "Isn't that itself a foolish tradition?"

Ra's could not quite disagree with Oliver, but the conditioning that he had gone through at the hands of his predecessor, combined with the centuries of us of the Lazarus Pit forbade him from siding with his heir.

"This is the way of the League, the way it has always been done!" Ra's shouted as he and Oliver continued to trade blows.

"And it needs to change!" Oliver replied. "For Ra's to lead mankind, he must still have his humanity! And he can't keep that by killing anyone he's ever known and loved."

Ra's had gained the upper hand, striking at Oliver's left knee with his right leg, dropping Oliver onto said knee. He struck and broke Oliver's sword and punched him in the face, stunning the younger man.

"You have fought bravely, my son. For that you should take pride." Ra's monologued. "But today you lose. When you die, you will be buried, forgotten. And the League shall continue under my rule."

He swung down at Oliver's neck. However, Oliver caught the sword and performed the same move that Ra's had used on the cliff, disarming him.

"No. They will kneel before the next Ra's al Ghul." Oliver told him.

Ra's smiled, knowing that in his defeat, his protégé would make the legacy of Ra's proud. "I chose well with you, boy." He told him, as he handed Oliver the ring of the Demon's Head.

"I will bring pride to the legacy of Ra's al Ghul." Oliver said earnestly.

Ra's smiled. "I know you will. Tell my daughters I am sorry."

"I will."

"Good. Now finish it."

Oliver nodded and drove his sword through Ra's' chest. He stood there for a moment, taking in the moment and then, he put on the ring. He then picked up Ra's' body and took it with him, so that he could be given a League burial. When he arrived at the League safehouse, the assassins bowed to him, signifying their acceptance of his role as Ra's.

XXX

The team had regrouped at Talia's safehouse, with members of the League having returned to Nanda Parbat to prepare for the previous Ra's' funeral. With their mission a success, there was an obvious air of relief.

He told them of the battle, how he had defeated Ra's and they all agreed it was only fitting.

"He let me win." Oliver said quietly.

"What?" Thea asked. The others all just stood there shocked. 'What do you mean he let you win?"

"I think that the man he was before the conditioning and the corruption of the Lazarus Pit managed to take control one last time, because of the things I was saying. I think he let me win, because he knew I would change things."

They all stood in a stunned silence for a few moments, not sure of what to do or say.

"So, what now?" Thea asked, breaking the silence.

"Well, with his death, I became the new Ra's. And I intend to fulfil the mission of the League, to root out and destroy evil wherever it exists. I'm also going to make some changes in the League and I'd love for all of you to join me. The people in this room are the people I trust most in the world and it would mean more than you could know to have all of you by my side."

"With my father's death, my blood debt is erased and I can return home. I would be honoured to join you, Oliver." Talia said. She gave him a hug. "Thank you." She whispered. Oliver gave her a small smile. He knew how much she appreciated what he had done. In Russia, she had spoken often of her sister and how she yearned to see her.

"I'm sorry I had to kill your father." Oliver said to her.

"I know. I understand why you had to." Oliver smiled at her again.

"What about the two of you?" Oliver asked Roy and Thea. "Will you join us? Or are the two of you going to go and start new lives somewhere else?" He would respect their choice regardless. He loved them both, but they needed to follow their path, whatever it was.

Roy and Thea looked at each other and grinned. "Like you said to me last year, we're just getting started." Roy said to Oliver. Oliver grinned at them and embraced both.

"Yeah, besides, we've both tried to run and we just keep getting dragged back in." Thea said. "This is who we are."

Oliver breathed a sigh of relief. He had initially worried that they would stay for his sake, but to hear those words from Thea made his anxiety dissipate.

"And anyway, family sticks together, right?" Roy asked.

'Right." Oliver replied. "Tatsu?"

"For years, since Akio's death, I have been alone and adrift. With Maseo's, I realised how I had failed Akio. He would be ashamed that his mother had retreated to a life of seclusion and no longer helped others. I will join you Oliver, to honour them both."

Oliver hugged her. "Akio would never have been ashamed of you." He whispered. "But he would be proud of you making the world a better place. We both do this to honour him."

Tatsu gave him a small smiled and stepped back, leaving only Nyssa.

"Husband." She said, remaining stoic. Oliver marvelled at her beauty. Even after combat, she remained the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. He smiled sadly at her and she took a step toward him, leaving them only about six inches from one another.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Someone had to do it, I'm glad it was you." She grabbed his face and kissed him, to the surprise of every, except Talia.

"Whoa!" Roy exclaimed. "I didn't see that coming."

"How long has this been a thing?" Thea asked cheekily, whilst Tatsu just smiled.

"It's been a thing for a while." Oliver said. "Ra's forced us to get married so that we could extend his lineage, but we'd fallen for each other well before that." He grinned at Nyssa who smirked back at him.

The group chatted idly for a while before something became apparent to Oliver. He couldn't help but notice that Malcolm had not returned to the safehouse.

"Speedy, where's Malcolm?"

"He said he'd meet us back here, why?"

Oliver looked over at Nyssa and Talia, both of them understanding what he was thinking.

"He fled." Nyssa spat venomously.

"What do you mean?" Thea asked.

"When I first protected Malcolm from the League, I was wrong." Oliver admitted, disappointed in himself for his poor choice. "When I stopped you form selling him out to the League, I was trying to stop you from having to live with the fact that your father was dead because of you."

"He's not my father." Thea said dangerously.

"I know, but I didn't want that on your conscience." Oliver told her. "I made a promise to Malcolm. One I never intended on keeping. I promised to let him become Ra's in exchange for his help. I was going to let Nyssa kill him for Sara, but he must have suspected my plan and run."

"If so, he cannot run forever." Talia said.

"Indeed. He will see his last day by my blade." Nyssa promised. "I am sorry Thea, but it must be done."

"Don't be. He deserves it." Thea replied.

"Until that day comes, let's go back to Nanda Parbat." Oliver said.

 **END**

 **A/N: So this is the final chapter. There will be an epilogue, but this is the final plot-based chapter. Thanks to everyone for reading this story. I hope you'll return for the sequel: Arrow: Earth-Q – Season 4.**


	5. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

The past three months had gone relatively smoothly. The League had more or less run as it always had. Talia and Nyssa had taken responsibility for Roy and Thea's training. Nyssa taught them sword-fighting and hand-to-hand combat, whilst Talia focused on honing their archery and stealth abilities. Tatsu preferred to spend as much time as possible on missions and when she was at Nanda Parbat, typically stayed in her quarters. Oliver wanted her to interact more with the others, but he knew it would take time.

Oliver knew that if he wanted to institute some serious changes in the League, then he would have to ingratiate himself to the League's members over a period of years, especially the higher ups. If he tried to change too much too quickly, he would likely be assassinated and replaced. For this very reason, he needed to surround himself with people he could trust. He had begun to do so with Nyssa, Talia, Roy, Thea and Tatsu, but he needed a few more allies he could count on. He had made a short list, narrowing it down to two potential names.

Today he would begin his recruitment.

XXX

 **Starling City**

Before beginning his recruitment, Oliver had a stop to make. He walked into the basement of Palmer Tech, the base that his old team was using for their new base of operations. He hoped that time had at the very least, allowed the team to think more rationally. He knew that they wouldn't be completely over it and he understood. He had deceived them, he wished he hadn't had to, but it was necessary and hopefully time had made them realise that fact.

He found that the basement was empty and so he waited for them. He found that both Laurel's Black Canary suit and John's new "Spartan" suit were on display in the centre of the room. After what seemed like an hour, John, Felicity and Laurel walked in. He turned to face them, a blank expression on his face. He was met with looks of shock on the faces of his former allies.

"What are you doing here?" Diggle snapped.

"It's good to see you, John." Oliver said.

"Oliver, where have you been?" Felicity asked. "We've been worried."

"I've been leading the League, as is my responsibility" Oliver told them, showing them the Demon's ring.

"So, you won." Laurel said simply. It was clear she wasn't completely supportive of his new role.

"I did." Oliver gazed at her, preparing his words carefully. "I would like to apologize for my actions during the war with the League. I know how much it hurt all of you, but I had to make tough choices, because we couldn't afford to lose."

"Are you kidding me?" John asked. "You can't seriously think that any of us would even consider forgiving you after what you did."

"I'm not asking for your forgiveness, John. I only came to apologize."

"I can't forgive you either." Felicity squeaked in a shrill voice. "You betrayed the people that you trusted the most."

"Except that you aren't the people I trust the most. Because I knew that the three of you would never understand why I did what I did. That's why I formed a team with the people who would do what was necessary to save the city. And they did."

There was silence for a few seconds, John and Felicity stunned at Oliver's words.

"I understand." Laurel said suddenly. Oliver looked at her, mildly surprised. "When the vigilante first appeared, I thought he was a criminal, but I soon realised that the law wasn't perfect and sometimes someone outside it needs to be the one to fight for justice. I suppose that this was a similar situation. I couldn't see that at the time, but I do now. You worked with people who understood how likely it would be that Ra's would succeed if you didn't do what you did. We couldn't even fathom the scale of it, so you did what you had to."

Oliver smiled at her. "Thank you, Laurel. Can I consider us allies?"

"Of course." Laurel walked over and hugged him tightly. "If the League ever needs assistance while operating in Starling, then I'll do what I can to help. I won't kill, but I'll assist in whatever way I can."

"Thank you." Oliver said warmly. "And you two?"

"No. I won't help a bunch of psychopathic murderers." John said.

"What he said." Felicity replied indignantly.

"I can't say I'm surprised." Oliver said. "Until next time, I wish you all the best."

With his piece said and his position with his old team firmly established, Oliver left to begin his recruitment.

XXX

 **Iron Heights**

Helena Bertinelli lay on her back in her cell, waiting for sleep to wash over her for what seemed to be the millionth time. A noise down the hall managed to get her attention. She stood up and walked over to the bars of her cell. She couldn't quite see what was happening, but suddenly, the lights all shut off. She went back to her bed and lay down, assuming it was a power outage.

She heard shouting down the hall and then heard something hit her cell, it sparked and then her cell door was kicked open. She jumped up in a combat stance, but lowered her defences when she saw the unmistakable form of Oliver Queen silhouetted thanks to the night sky.

"Oliver." She said simply. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to break you out. To give you a second chance." He explained. "I'm building a new team and I want you on it."

"What about everything I've done?" She asked him, finally meeting his eyes.

"You can pay for it in here, or you can make amends out there." Oliver told her. "It's your choice."

"I don't know…" She said hesitantly. She was conflicted because of everything she had done.

"When you were sent to prison, I told you that you weren't alone. I meant that and I'm here to prove it." Oliver said earnestly.

"Let's get out of here." She replied, with a small smile on her face.

Once they had escaped, Oliver had given Helena a change of clothes and explained the situation to her. She agreed to join him and he put her on a jet bound for Nanda Parbat.

XXX

 **Lian Yu**

Oliver had sworn he would never return to this place. He wandered across the familiar shore, towards the bunker. He slowly descended down the ladder and opened the heavy steel door. He stared at the cell at the end of the hall before taking a few steps inside. He was met with the face of the man who had killed his mother. The face of the man who had been his brother in arms on the island. His biggest regret. His biggest failure.

"Hey, kid. I'm glad you came back."

 **END**

 **A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this little epilogue. I figured there were a few more characters that I wanted to see show up, but couldn't find room for within the actual story.**

 **You should all be warned that most of my stories will likely follow the 'someone becomes Ra's al Ghul' storyline and will likely include many of the same characters. This is because I think there have been characters in the Arrowverse that have been used very poorly and have had great potential squandered.**

 **Oliver Queen – Oliver was such a good character in seasons 1-3 and the flashbacks for season 5 (minus the bloodthirsty retcon). Every now and again, we see shades of the character he once was returning, but these moments are fleeting. The showrunners have this need to make Oliver incapable of doing anything or having any morality without Felicity or Diggle, despite the fact that neither one of them make particularly good decisions, such as Felicity helping Helix repeatedly or complaining about not being consulted on William's fate; or for John, things like calling Oliver a shitty leader, despite the fact that he almost got Rene and Dinah killed.**

 **Sara Lance – Killing her off was an absolute shock, but not the smartest decision that the writers made. Laurel was a terrible Black Canary. As far as I'm concerned, the true Canary is Sara. However, the writers of LoT have made her a joke. Like Oliver on Arrow, she has been rendered weak and needs the help of a far inferior team to complete objectives that she has been shown to be capable of completing herself.**

 **Roy Harper – Now to be fair, part of this is because Colton Haynes had to leave the show to deal with health issues. I'm glad he has recovered and is now back on the show. However, Roy is consistently underused when he makes appearances, such as in the flashforwards for Season 7. One huge mistake was not getting him to return for the Season 5 finale. In addition, in "The Thanatos Guild" he is constantly complaining to Thea about the fact that she won't leave the vigilante life behind. This is so out of character for Roy. He loved being Arsenal and I do not believe for a second that he would complain about getting to be Arsenal again.**

 **Thea Queen – Her lack of storyline for seasons 5 & 6 were such a waste of her character. I really don't even know what to say. She's gone from someone willing to do whatever it takes to protect her city in Season 4's finale (like threatening to slit Nora Darhk's throat), to complaining about Oliver killing in Season 5's premiere. Now granted, I think we can all agree that threatening to slit a little girl's throat is too far, but she does a complete 180. Throughout the show, Thea never seems to have an issue with the vigilantes killing or even killing people herself. But suddenly in Season 5, killing is morally reprehensible in her view. But then, she goes and tries to ruin Susan Williams' career to protect Oliver. The writing for her is just inconsistent. Willa Holland deserved better than to be pushed aside like she was and I don't blame her for getting fed up and eventually leaving the show.**

 **Helena Bertinelli – Basically they had an opportunity to write a very complex and deep character with Helena and they squandered it, turning her into a psychotic killing machine. Jess De Gouw had great chemistry with Stephen Amell and they should have explored their dynamic more; not necessarily in a romantic direction, but in a way whereby Oliver can teach her to be a bit smarter in the way in which she seeks justice.**

 **Slade Wilson – Now, as with Roy Harper, the showrunners don't deserve all of the blame for this. This is mostly WB's fault as they won't let the CW use Slade anymore. However, one instance of Slade's misuse from the Arrow writers comes in the Season 5 finale. In the finale, Slade abandons the team because they won't make it to the boat, but he will.** **SLADE WOULD NOT DO THAT. He isn't Deathstroke anymore. Deathstroke is who he became because of the Mirakuru. He even says at THE BEGINNING OF THE EPISODE that he is remorseful for what he did. At the very least, he would have protected Thea, out of respect for Oliver.**


End file.
